How the king moves in chess
How to play chess
How does the king move in chess?
The king is the most important piece. If he is trapped, you lose. He can move one square in any direction: forwards, backwards, sideways or diagonally.
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The green dots show where the piece can go; a green frame is a capture.
The rules
- The king moves exactly one square at a time, in any direction.
- He captures by moving onto an enemy piece, just like his move.
- He may never move onto a square that an enemy piece attacks. Two kings can never stand next to each other.
- The king has one special move, castling, which tucks him away safely.
Common mistakes
- Moving the king into check. The game will not let you.
- Bringing the king out into the middle too early in the game, where he can be attacked.
Remember
One square in any direction, but never into danger.
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